Side-by-side comparisons of how New York and Wuhan, China have sounded in the New Year has sparked a heated debate on social media over whether the United States should have taken Beijing’s approach to dealing the coronavirus pandemic.
Photographs showing empty streets of Times Square, usually a center of New Years Eve revelry, spread to social media Thursday night, with several commentators noting that the mood was considerably more festive in Wuhan, the Chinese city where it is found Covid-19. detected for the first time.
Life in Wuhan has for the most part returned to normal after the city was placed under a severe lockdown for more than 70 days. New York City has taken similar, albeit less zealous, measures since the virus hit the United States in March, but still struggles to contain the disease. Residents of the city have been urged to stay at home during the holidays.
The images elicited a range of responses, some very provocative.
A lot blame The American leadership for the sobering contrast and chose Donald Trump as ultimately responsible for the nation “Anemic”Covid-19 response.
Others have adopted a more geopolitical vision, saying the photographs prove that the United States is a “Empire collapsing” and that the West was “Almost destroyed” by virus “Without a single bullet fired. “
This America is a crumbling empire, but our refusal to admit it will cause untold hardship for millions of people as we strive to maintain our status at ever increasing costs.
– Scruffy looking goat breeder (@ LukeMonroe1) January 1, 2021
“It sends the message that America is broken and that China is the new superpower,” a commentator he told me of the comparison between Wuhan and New York.
Numerous tweets have accused China of being responsible for the empty streets of the Big Apple, sparking a debate comparing Beijing and Washington’s responses to the health crisis. Several Twitter users have argued that New York could have celebrated the New Year as it normally does if it had imposed a “Real” lockdown like Wuhan did in February.
They were welded together in their houses and ordered not to leave. Is this what you call a REAL lockdown. No thanks. I’ll take the liberty.
However, commentators were quick to point out that the imitation of the Wuhan lockdown would be highly controversial, as Chinese authorities have barricaded – and in some cases welded the doors of apartment buildings in order to prevent residents from leaving their homes.
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Although some have praised China’s response to the outbreak, the effectiveness of these drastic measures is still unclear. While many argue that the lockdowns have helped reduce the strain on healthcare systems, many studies question whether they can actually be used to control the virus. Some research has found no clear relationship between death rates and the level of strict foreclosure, but it has identified that tougher measures have caused serious economic damage such as rising unemployment.
Questions have also arisen about the compatibility of such extreme limitations on freedom of movement and fundamental freedoms with Western democracies. Professor Neil Ferguson, the disgraced UK government adviser who was caught meeting his married mistress in violation of the country’s Covid-19 restrictions, openly admitted in a recent interview that he initially believed only China could “Go away” with massive cover locks rather than just quarantining sick people.
“It is a one-party communist state,” we said. We couldn’t get by in Europe, we thought… and then Italy did. And we realized we could, “ Ferguson told The Times.
While there has been considerable disagreement over how to interpret the images, few have denied how shocking it was to see Times Square nearly abandoned on New Years Eve. In fact, December 31, 2020 marked the the first time in its 116-year history of the traditional balloon drop that Times Square was closed to spectators during the holidays.
In Wuhan, huge crowds gathered in the center of the city to mark the New Year, even though most people still wore masks.
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